Coffee, Caffeine, and Energy

I should start this post out with a disclaimer.  I absolutely love coffee.  I started drinking coffee pretty young and instantly knew it was for me.  I love the ritual of it, the smell, and the taste.  Any city I go to, I immediately find the best coffee shops because they have always been my happy place.

For a long time I justified my love of coffee with studies that show that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Alzheimer's or that coffee is an antioxidant rich food.  But eventually I had to admit to myself that I was ignoring the negative effects of coffee.  I was very dependent on it.  If I did not have coffee I would have low energy and severe headaches.  When other people would come to me for advice about their health I would suggest that they back away from caffeine even though I was downing a whole pot.  Finally I decided I had to practice what I preach.  I decided that I would try having a cup of hot water with lemon first thing in the morning and then I could have my coffee.  What happened next completely surprised me.  After having lemon water, I really didn't want the coffee.

Because I love coffee I decided that if I wanted, I could have one cup per day and only in the morning.  The changes in my life were bigger than I ever expected.  I used to think that I simply needed more sleep than other people.  I was wrong.  I went from sleeping until 11:00 to waking up naturally at 7:00.  I also no longer crash when I came home from work.  I have the energy to go to evening yoga or cook a nice dinner even after a long day.

If you think you might need to lower your caffeine intake, I recommend you try hot water with lemon or herbal teas.  I personally like hibiscus tea the best and it is packed with Vitamin C.  Plus it is a beautiful pinkish red.  Caffeine can be really hard on your digestive system, so if you are suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms you may benefit from limiting your coffee.  George Metaljan of Worlds Healthiest Foods also makes a convincing point about coffee:

"One of the most problematic aspects of coffee, however, is its ability to make a person feel awake, alert, and ready to go - even when that person's body is exhausted, drowsy, and in need of rest and sleep. The caffeine in coffee provides a false feeling of vitality - the exact opposite of the world's healthiest foods. These foods provide real vitality - complete with conventional nutrients, phytonutrients, and the wisdom of the earth that produced them." http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=200





Good luck,
Chelsea
the-naked-fig.blogspot.com

A Step Away

  It is said, that a journey of a 1000 miles begins with a first step.  Today I was able to take my true first step in my infinite journey.  For the first time in my adult life, I had the opportunity to get a complete lab work up at the doctor's office.  I had been wanting for a some time to get to the core of what was stopping me from achieving my goals--such as losing weight, feeling tired, irregular cycles, etc.  I knew that my eating habits played a large part of what was holding me back; and I've made strides to change my diet and purge my body of the junk and processed foods of this country's "typical" intake.  But, I knew there had to be more to it.  I knew that in order to be truly effective and to see real, long-term changes, I had to have all the answers.

  So, last week I went to see my doctor and told them of my concerns.  I was completely honest.  Honesty is the only way real change can be ensured to come about.  You have to be willing to shed the lies you tell yourself, the doctors and others in order to seriously help yourself.  I had my blood drawn and tests run to evaluate everything from my cholesterol to hormones to sugar levels and all the important stuff in-between.  Today, I got those results back.  Overall, things turned out well.  I can't say if having made changed my diet some time back made a difference in the numbers, because I didn't have an initial baseline before making changes.  However, I'm scheduled three months out to do a re-draw.  I'll be making more changes to my diet and of course exercises before the re-draw, so it will be interesting to see what greater changes take place between now and then.

  I'm moving forward. I'm starting my journey.  My path is clearer now and I'm looking forward to my stroll and where it leads me.  I have my 5k approaching in just a couple of weeks and I consider the completion of that 5k part of this journey.  As I said last time, I will continue to keep you all in the loop of my progress.  My ups and downs make me real and human. It means I'm living, not just existing. I hope those of you reading my posts feel the same way about yourselves.

 Much Love,

 Marissa!

Foods to Beat Summer Workout Soreness

 Does your summer workout have you sore? If the answer is, yes- then that is great! It means your workout, is working! When you workout, you are trying to break down your muscles to build them back up even stronger. This is what makes our thighs tighter and our butts a little higher! When we get sore from workouts we are feeling the build up of lactic acid our muscles produce and oxidative stress on our cells. A little inflammation! With that said, working out is only the first step in getting a tighter tush. You will not get the results you want from spending hours in the gym if you aren't eating to fuel great results. Your muscles have to repair and recover before you get tighter- and before you can break them down again in the gym! So, here a few few foods to help calm down those sore muscles and help you stay on your fitness quest!

 1. Tart Cherry Juice- Tart Cherry Juice has tons of antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. The antioxidant properties in cherry juice help knock out free radicals produced from your muscles while working out. This natural source of anti inflammatory works similar to a non steroid anti inflammation drug, like Advil! You can try taking, 1 oz of tart cherry juice, daily as a supplement to help with your workouts and recovery. Tart cherry juice also has an added benefit to working out of helping to reset your bodies natural levels of melatonin to promote more restful sleep. A very important step in weight training! Muscles repair and grow when we sleep.

 2. Blueberries- These little power houses are also great at fighting off all kinds of free radicals and reducing oxidative stress! Very important for maintaining cellular health and aiding in recovery. I recommend eating a handful or adding a cup to a smoothie daily.

 3. Ginger- Ginger is super rich in the inflammation fighting compound, gingerol. Ginger is known for helping with pain (even joint pain/arthritis)  and helping to fight inflammation! I eat fresh ginger every day. If you can't get fresh ginger, the next best thing is dried. If you use dried, you only need half as much. The gingerol does through a process when being dehydrated which increases the intensity about twice as much and changes it to shogaols. You can eat the ginger, put it in tea, throw some on your smoothies, or even bathe in it!

 4. Apple Cider Vinegar- I know you knew this one would be on here! Where do I begin... Only use ORGANIC RAW apple cider vinegar- or you won't get any of the fabulous benefits. I use Braggs. Make sure you are buying one with the 'mother' floating around in the jar (that crazy slimy stuff) and be sure to shake before use. The mother in the ACV is made up of strand like enzymes connected like protein molecules and bacteria. These little miracles are what heals you, you've got to have the enzymes! the ACV gives you  good dose of potassium and magnesium, which low levels are both linked to muscle fatigue and cramping. ACV also helps break down lactic acid and flush your liver- while promoting the healing! It also helps alkalize your system (important if you drink coffee) and boosts your immune system- great for warding off those pesky gym germs ;) You want to be sure to dilute the vinegar before consuming since it is acidic to avoid damage to your tooth enamel or throat. I drink 2 tablespoons daily in 32 oz of water- through a straw! Then I brush my teeth :) I can't say enough good stuff about ACV, but it takes some getting used to. Start slow by adding a few teaspoons to your water and work your way up. If you are on any medications for your heart, water pills, or diabetes you will want to check with your doctor first for possible interactions. You can also use about 2 cups of ACV into a hot bath to help draw lactic acid out of your muscles through your skin.

 5. Water- This is so important in the recovery of any type of healing and maintaining optimal health. If you are dehydrated, your cells can't function properly and you are going to have some problems... On an average day, you should be drinking at least half of your body weight, in ounces, of water. If you drink anything caffeinated, then add that same amount in water to your original total to make up from the dehydrating effects of the caffeine. It is so important to stay hydrated and also for flushing out toxins. If you ever feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Every time you use the potty, it should be almost clear- if not, go drink a glass of water! You absolutely need to stay properly hydrated when exercising to maintain a healthy balance of electrolytes. Not to mention, if you don't drink enough water- your body will naturally hold on to it.Water is the most important tool for detoxifying by flushing out free radicals and lactic acid. So, drink up!

 There are so many more ways I can tell you to eat for training recovery- these are just a few to get started! Everyone is biologically different and will have their own specific nutritional needs- especially if you are serious about your fitness training. It is very important to remember, that what we do outside of the gym is almost more important than what we do inside. You have to create the environment for good health starting with what you put inside your body- you can never 'work off' the effects of eating a poor diet. Even if it doesn't show on the outside (which it normally does), you can never, ever escape the consequences poor nutrition has on the inside of your body. We lead hectic lives, we need to eat and train for it!


 Love and Gratitude,
 Natalie

Dairy Debate plus Nut or Seed Milk Recipe

 Whether or not to drink milk is a topic that tends to get people riled up.  For one reason or another the issue really stirs up people's emotions so I'm just gonna let you know what I eat and why.  Everyone is different so I'm not gonna make any recommendation for anyone else on dairy.

 At this point in my life, I'm not too passionate either way about dairy.  I think it's possible to be supremely healthy with or without dairy.  I don't have a strict label for the way I eat.  I try to not to define my diet because it is constantly evolving and I don't want to get locked into a dogmatic mindset of foods that are "allowed" or "forbidden."  That's simply not for me.  But a good rule of thumb I try to stick to is to choose whole foods.  And animal milk, in its true form, is a whole food.

Before you get carried away though, you should know that I'm picky about what dairy I'll eat.  Real milk is raw, unpasteurized, and non-homogenized.  It also comes from cows that are able to graze in grassy pastures.  Unfortunately, this milk is hard to find if you do not know a dairy farmer.  In fact, in the U.S. unpasteurized milk can only be sold as "pet food."

 The milk you find in stores often comes from cows living in cramped stalls, fed corn, soy and who-knows-what, and that are given hormones to keep them constantly able to produce milk.  Antibiotics are also given to these cows rather than allowing them to get healthy naturally before milking.  Yuck.  Some researchers will argue that the actual nutrient contents are the same no matter that the cows' lives are like or what they are fed.  While the macronutrients may be similar, a sick or stressed cow is not going to produce the same product as a happy healthy cow.  Experts also claim that the amount of antibiotics that are found in milk are negligible, but I don't want to drink ANY drugs in my milk.  For more info on the subject check out this New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/business/26milk.html

 Another concern with milk is the homogenization process.  The fats in milk naturally separate and form a creamy fat layer on top.  Homogenization is a process used to prevent separation to make the consistency of milk smooth and uniform by breaking down fat globules.  This can help improve shelf life, leaving you with less fresh milk.  Again, yuck.  For this reason only buy organic grass-fed non-homogenized whole milks.  It is harder to find but it tastes so much better and I feel more comfortable knowing what is in my milk.  Better yet, I'd choose some raw milk from a local farmer if I can find it.

 You may be thinking to yourself, why in the world would she choose whole milk when every doctor and nutritionist keeps saying choose low-fat dairy.  The simplest answer is that I believe choosing foods as close to their whole natural state as possible is best.  Whole milk is a whole food.  Skim and 2% are not.  I choose to trust nature's wisdom on this matter.  The vitamins in milk are fat soluble so when the milk is skimmed off, it is harder for your body to to digest and assimilate all of the nutritional goodness. Milk is fatty for a reason and I'd rather have the real thing and just drink less of it.

 For many people milk can be hard to digest.  It is one of the most common food sensitivities.  If this is true for you, it is best to avoid dairy.  Some people find that they are more able to digest goat's milk as it is more similar to human milk than cow's milk is.  Another bonus of goat's milk is that the fat molecules are smaller naturally so it is not typically homogenized.  I eat goat milk butter sometimes and it is so good!

 If you choose not to eat dairy, people will certainly ask you where you get your calcium.  Cows eat a vegan diet so where do they get their calcium from?  Grass!  Leafy greens are one of the best sources of calcium and they don't have the downsides of dairy.

 For replacing milk in your diet I would recommend nut or seed based "milks."There are many options available at grocery stores but I prefer to make my own.  Making your own "milks" is easy and keeps you in charge of the ingredients.  Read the labels on your nut, soy, or seed milks.  You may be surprised to see how many ingredients are in there.  I'd much rather have fresh raw nut/seed milks I make myself.

 My favorite milk alternative is hemp milk.  It is the easiest to make because hemp seeds do not require hours of soaking before blending.  I'm not great at planning ahead so this is a major plus.  Hemp is also a protein powerhouse which milks are not.

This recipe is a basic guideline for nut/seed milks but can be tweaked to your liking.  Experiment with different nuts, adding spices, or adding sweeteners.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom are especially nice.  Pistachio makes a great milk and has a slightly green color that I like.  Play around with it and have fun!

Basic Nut or Seed Milk

Supplies: Blender and nut bag, fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nut or seeds (soaked for 4-8 hours)
1 1/2 cup water (Some people like more water.  I like it creamy so I recommend starting with this and adding more if you like.)
1 tbsp sweetener (This is optional-try honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia...)
1/2 tsp spice (This is also optional-try cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom)

Soaking will soften the nuts making them blend much more easily.  It can also make them easier to digest.  Nuts have an enzyme that keeps them from sprouting until they are watered.  When you soak nuts, this enzyme disappears and allows for better nutrient absorption.

1. Soak and rinse nuts.

2. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

3. Pour through a fine mesh strainer.  If you don't have one you can use cheesecloth.  You can also buy nut-milk bags but I find a mesh strainer works fine for me.

4. Drink immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

I apologize for the lengthy post but there are a lot of considerations when it comes to dairy milk and I wanted to address them all.  Your brain may be swimming in this deluge of information, so if I've overwhelmed you, just remember Michael Pollan's simple advice: "Eat food.  Mostly Plants.  Not too much." That advice never fails.

Chelsea
http://the-naked-fig.blogspot.com/